Pipe coupling for garment-pressing machines



June. 19; y1928l I l R.' H. MELZER' Pitnbmms Fon GARMEyTPREssING HACHIIES mgngwned sept. 29. 1920 Patented Junel9, UNITED STATES 1,674,018 PATENT oFFlcl-z.

BJICHABD H., HELZEB, Of' SYRACUSE, NEW -YORK, ASSIGNOR TO TRIPLEX GABMENT IPBESSER, INC., 0F SYBACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

rm'. lconnaitre Foa GARMnNT-rnnssine MACHINES.l

original application med September 29, 1920, Serial No 413,559. Divided and this application led October 18, 1921.

This invention relates to a garment pressing machine in which steam 1s applied for heating and moistening purposes and refers mor`e\particularly to the constructionnof the 5 steam joint or coupling connection between the suppl pipeand movable pressing-head. In mac ines of this character, the lower I and upper pressing elements, commonly known as ,the buck and head, respectively,

are adapted to meet in a horizontalplane mounted upon its supporting arm or lever to enable it to automatically adjust itself to diierent thicknesses of the material under pressure at different oints throughout the pressing area and it, t erefore, follows that the steam connection with the press-head must be lexible or jointed at onev or more points to turn about their axis or axes coincident or parallel with the axis of the head-supporting-arm, the turning joint orjoints being preferable.

Heretofore, considerable diiiiculty has been experienced in obtaining a joint or steam connection which would prevent leakage after a short period of usedue partially Y4.0 to the frequent movement of the press-head but mainly to the rigid securement or reten- Vtion of one or more of the joint members to or uponthe frame of the machine or to the press-head, whereby undue strain would be brought upon the joint or jointsby any slight inaccuracy of alinement with the axis of movementof the head-supporting-arm or by any slight tilting movement of the presshead upon said arm when clam ing.y parts `5o. of the same garment of different t ick/nesses.

The main object of my presentinv'ention is to provide what ma be termed a' semifloating coupling or jointed connection between the Asteam supply pipe and the Apress- Serial No. 508,590.

head capable of automatically adjusting itself to the .various movements of the presshead and its supporting-arm without overstraining any of the parts or causin undue wear thereof, and at the same time eeping the turning joints parallel with the airis of movement of the head-supporting-arm, thereby greatly reducing the liability'v of leakage and securing a more permanent joint.

nother object is to provide a more convenient means for takin up any wear ofthe joint without disconnecting any of the Asteam conducting arts. 1

Other objects and uses'willbe broughtv out in the following description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan of a garment pressing machine embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal lsectional view of the detached couplingl joint `between the steam-supply-pip'e and presshead.

Fig. Bis an end view of one of the coupling yokes. ,f

Fig. 4 is a side elevation on a reduced scale of the same coupling. f

The pressing machine, as illustrated, comprises a supporting-base -1- havingy upright brackets -2- provided at their upper ends with horizontal bearings -3- for receiving and supporting a vertically movable rock-arm -4- forming a lever of the first kind in'that it is fulcrumed o'r pivoted intermediate its ends in the bearings 3., the intermediate portions ofsaid brackets -2- being provided with forwardly eX- tending arms 5 for receiving and supporting the buck or `lower pressing element, not shown, butconstructed and supported in the manner shown in my patent above re- 95 ferred yto and also in my pending application Sr. #497,871 filed September 2, 1921.

The press-head -6 is yieldingly attached by bolts 7 tothe front end of the lever -4- to move vertically about the axis 100 of said lever toward and from the underl ing buck. Any suitable connections may e used Vto permit relatively transverse and longitudinal rocking movement of the head upon the front end of the lever to enable the, v

shown and described in my patent previously referred to, the front end of the lever being provided with a handle 8 by which it may be rocked forwardly and downwardly by hand if desired although it is desired to control all of the movements Y of the press-head and its supporting lever by means of a single pedal-lever 9- through the medium of a toggle lever l0- connected to the rear weighted -end l1- of the lever -4-. i

The press-head -6- is provided with a steam chamber *l2- having an inlet -13- and a drainage outlet i4- the latter being controlled by a valve -15-.

A steam-supply pipe -l6- leading from any suitable source of supply is connected to one end of a jointed coupling 17- having its other end connected by a discharge pipe 1S- to the press-head -6- to communicate with the chamber -12- for supplying steam to said chamber, the supply pipe -1G- being provided with a suitable valve -l9 for controlling the How of steam therethrough and is also provided with branch pipes 20- and -21- leading to the buck, not shown, for supplying steam thereto for heating said buck and for moistening the garment in the manner shown and described in my pending applications above referred to.

The jointed coupling -17- is supported entirely by the steam pipes -16- and -18- independently, of the lever 4- and its supporting brackets '2- and comprises a pair of similar and interchangeable yokes 2Q- and a hollow connecting member or pipe --23- 'having elbows at both ends, one of said yokes being secured to the adjacent end of the steam-supply pipe 16- substantially coaxial with the aXis of movement of the lever 4 while the othersk yoke is secured to the pipe -18- between the first named yoke and rear edge of the press-head -'67-, said yoke being connected by turning joints to the adjacent ends of the coupling member -23- and together with said coupling member are provided with suitable passages communicating with the pipes -16- an 18- for supplying 4steam therethrough to the chamber -12-.

The yokes -22- being identical and interchangeable, the description of one will serve for both, each yoke 15- having inner and outer hollow end heads -24- and 25- being connected by one or more, in

this instance two, opposlte webs or arms 26- to form an intervening openin -27 for the reception of the adjacent end of the coupling member-2%.

That is, the inner end of the heads -24- and -25- are coaxial but in s aced relation a sufiicent distance to receive etween them the adjacent end of thel coupling member -23- and to allow a limited movement of said coupling member lengthwise of the axis of the head sufficient to permit its convenient removal and replacement in a manner presently described.

Each of the end heads Q4- is provided with an angular passage 28 having one end alined with and adapted to receive the adjacent end of the steam pipe as 1G- or 18- and its other end in coaxial alnement with the axis of the opposite head -25- for communication with the adjacent end of a lengthwise passage `29- in the coupling member -23- when the latter is placed in operative position with its opposite ends in the openings -27- or between the opposite heads of both of the yokes -22-.

The opposite end head -25- is provided with a lengthwise opening -30-- for receiving a plunger bearing -31-, a coil spring 32- and an adjustin screw 3B- whereby the ad 'acent end o the coupling member -23- is held in operative engagement with the end head -24- with the adjacent end of the passage -29- in communication with the corresponding passage Q8- That is, the yokes 22- are spaced some distance apart lengthwise of the pipes 16- and -18-, which latter is preferably coaxial and therefore, the adjacent ends of the passages -28- are also coaxial but open in opposite direction, the remaining portions of said passages -28- being disposed at right angles to the axes of the pipes -16- and 18-. j

The opposite ends of the passage 29- are also coaxial with the adjacent end of the passages 2S- or at right angles to the axis of the pipes -16- and 18- while the remaining portions of said passage -29- are parallel with the axis of said pipes and some distance to one side thereof, as shown in Fig. 2.

The opposite ends of the coupling seotion -23- and adjacent yokes -22- are relatively rotatable one upon the other and for this purpose, the opposite ends of the coupling section 23- are provided with sockets 34- for receiving the adjacent c lindrical ends of the head -24- and suitable packings -35 to form steam tight turning joints.

The bearing members -31- are preferably eoaxial with the turning axes ofthe corresponding joint between the opposite ends of the couplin member 23- and end head 24- and aving their inner ends tapered to engage correspondjn ly tapered sockets in the outer faces of tige adjacent ends of said coupling section -23- to additionally hold said coupling section in operative position and to facilitate turning movement of the yokes and cou ling section relatively to each other as t e head 6- is rocked vertically about the axis of the lever Lemme 544-'- or relatively to said lever as permitted by the connecting These bearings -31l are movable axially and may be tightened whenever necessary by theadjustmen't of the screw' -33- .to take up wear of the packing rings -34- at the turning joint although the springs 30 serve to erform this take-up function automatical y and thereb to assure a more perfectly steam tight Joint at each bearing.

In case it should ybecome necessary to remove the coupling section -23- for repacking the joint or other' repairs, it is simply necessary to loosen the screws 33 thereby releasing the tension of the springs -32 and Vpermitting the coupling section -23- to be withdrawn laterally from engagement with the outer ends of the'head 24 whereupon the section -23- may be withdrawn endwise from between the heads vmy hand this scribed, comprisin an opening theret ough and endvheads at opposite ends of the opening provided with co-axia1 openings therein, a pipe elbow inserted in the o ening in the yoke and having its open end a utting against the inner face of one of the heads and communicating with.

the opening therein and its closed side faca circular yoke having.

ing the opening in the other head, means in the last-named opening for holding the open end of the elbow pipe against the lnner face of the first-named head, and an addi-- tional pipe connected to the opening in said first-named head beyond the open end of the pipe elbow.

2. A pipe coupling of the character describedcomprising a pipe`having its opposite ends provided wlth elbows, thev open sides of which face in thesame direction, a pair of separate circular yokes each surrounding one of the elbows and provided vwith opposite end heads having openin therein co-axial with the open ends of t e elbow, one of the openings in the end heads communicating with an opening in the e1- bow and separate devices in -the nopenings in the other end heads en a ends of the elbows for ho d1ng said'elbows in operative connection with the first-named end heads.

In witness whereof Ithave hereunto set 11th da RICH RD H. MELZER.

ging the closed of October, 1921.] 

